Can't decide between Thinkpads

So looking for another new laptop (been through a Dell and HP already so on to Lenovo!) and I've decided that I want a Thinkpad. I tend to carry laptops around a lot (student) so I need something that isn't going to fall apart.

So I'm set on a Thinkpad, just can't decide between the x100e (11.6"), x201 (12.1"), or the Edge 13". Anyone have any hands on experience with any of these?

The things I'm most concerned about are how hot it runs under normal use (not gaming) and how the build quality feels (The hardware in all 3 are good enough for me).

Also if anyone's used an 11.6" (1366 X 768) laptop, how is it using that as your primary laptop? Too small? I can't find a laptop that size at any stores to play around with so I'm a little hesitant to buy one without trying it first.

 

I'm moving this to the Lenovo forum since you're settled on the brand. Personally I would go with the ThinkPad X201, the 12" screen is a good size for a student and you'll get plenty of power even with a Core i3 configuration. Also, the build quality is going to be better than the X100E and Edge 13 and since you're a student bumping around campus that can really come in handy.

 

Instead of the x100e, you should consider the x120e that's releasing in 2 weeks.

 

@Andrew sorry about that.

I would've put the x120e but it's not out yet and its pretty much the same as the x100e, just newer hardware and supposedly better heat issues.. but we'll see. I just don't know how I feel about an 11.6" screen for daily usage (Office stuff, web browsing, etc..)

 

X201 hands down ! Better build quality, and nice portable size.

 

As Andrew and MikesDell said: X201.

Mine is always in my bag. Another great thing I want to add: the 9-cell battery will last 8+ hours.

 

My wife uses a 11.6 Acer Aspire. The past few months I went from a T410 to a X201. The 11.6 screen is just too small for me and the T410 was just too heavy, Too big, and I needed a separate bag of tricks to carry it in. I might have considered the Edge if it was still available through Lenovo and built a little more sturdy. That is more sturdy than the x201.

 

If you need a laptop right now I would go with the ThinkPad X201.

If you can wait till Spring then check out the ThinkPad Edge E220s which will have a 12.5" display or the X120e which will have a 11.6" display.

More info on both those upcoming laptops here:

Lenovo - New Product Showcase

 

x100e is a fail with the crappy battery life and melting heat, wait for x120e

 

Pretty much.

As far as the OP's comparison; It's obvious that the x201 is far "better" than the other laptops. But you didn't give us information on your requirements and expectations for the laptop that you want. (Battery life, build quality, weight, cost, etc.)

 

So basically what I want from a laptop is something that's small (11"-13" screen, the thinner the better), light (~3 lbs) and 4+ hours of battery would be nice. I'll mostly be using it for a couple classes, iTunes, little bit of HD video playing, web surfing, and lots of time on word and excel writing a dissertation... Price range is <$1000 (grad student... so the cheaper the better, however I would like to not sacrifice quality too much).

Previously I've owned a Dell e1705 (17" screen, horrible choice), and right now I have an HP dv4t (14"). Both of these after about 2 years were/are falling apart. The screen fell off on the Dell - the hinges broke in half, and on my HP my touchpad is broken, I can tell the screen hinges are starting to go, my (3rd) charger is starting to fail and I get roughly 15 min of battery life. Most of these problems have been a result of just carrying it around; I tend to take my laptop around a lot.

I know computers pretty well so I know what I need in terms of speed, ram, etc, and I've got a spare 500 gb laptop drive I'm going to put in whatever I buy to save some money on upgrading. I was looking pretty hard at an Asus 1215n but I've read that it's poorly built and falls apart easily. I'm open to any other suggestions that aren't Thinkpads as well.. although based on everyone's comments I'm leaning toward the x201 now.

This is really the first time I've asked for computer advice but obviously my last two choices weren't too great so any pointers for good ultraportables would be greatly appreciated.

 

The X201 is an excellent choice and I highly recommend you go for it.

With the 9 cell battery you should get 10+ hours according to the NBR review.

It will be fully able to handle your office apps, iTunes, web, and HD video with its Intel card.

BTW: Check what drive size the X201 takes to make sure your 500GB drive fits... my T410s takes a thinner drive type.

 

^^^ The X201 uses 2.5" form factor for HDD/SSD.

 

Hinges breaking and Top lids cracking/falling apart is the MAIN reason we will never ever buy DELL again.

I keep a few broken DELL lappys in the storage area. When I get a request for a DELL, I bring one out to assign. I love getting the look of "WHAT THE HELL" as they look at the screen that is off the hinge or has a crack in the deck lid. Luckily, So far, knock on wood, everyone has changed their mind to the suggested Thinkpad.

 

Yep, definately wait for the x120e releasing feb 15. From what they claim, it sounds cheaper, but more importantly, from what they claim its also better.

Plus, its Chinese new year (public holiday) so if you are ordering direct from lenovo (factory in China), it probably wont get processed until sometime next week, which means plus the production time, you may as well wait a week more for the x120e.

 

Where did you get this information? Feb 15th? Where do you find this? I can't find anything about it anywhere.

 

I found it on the youtube comments, in the video released by lenovo promoting the x120e.

 

I think that without a doubt if you plan on owning this laptop for a while then the x201 is the laptop to go for.

Great speeds, very portable, it will last a long time, and they are very durable.

 

Agreed.

10char

 

Just ordered the x201. They've got a 10% off coupon and a free upgrade to a 500gb hard drive which both end today so this was definitely good timing.

Est ship date isn't until the 18th so now I just get to wait and count down the days until I never have to use this POS HP again.

Thanks for all your input.

 

Excellent! Make sure to come back and tell us how you like it once you receive it!

Good Luck! ...Although Luck isn't needed with a ThinkPad...

 

Welcome to the ThinkPad Fraternity. Chug pledge.

 

You won't be disappointed with your new X201. I just received mine today, and it was worth every day of the wait. It's every bit as good of a machine as my X41 - which I couldn't say of the X100 that my former boss tried to sell me a year or so ago. Fast, too - installing Ubuntu 10.10 took all of 15 minutes, and I spent most of my day playing Starcraft II on it.

Shipping feels like an eternity, especially if they start playing around with dates on you, like they did for me. Fortunately, my story had a happy ending.

 

The 11.6 laptop is not too small for daily use, you can get use to it quite easily. If you can spare the cash, i would advise you get the X201.

 

How was the screen brightness on your x201?

 

It's bright alright, but it does lack contrast: things are kinda flat, black is not quite black.

 

You will be quite thrilled with the X201. It's a quality piece of equipment. I have an X200(same chassis, same design, older components) that I received used and quite abused; it still works flawlessly. The screen's still tight and the hardware's still rock solid. I will admit to using my T500 more than my X200 recently, but that has absolutely nothing to do with its durability and suitability to typical Office/video/web tasks.

 

I have very few screen complaints - I've used my X201 in everything from dim light to a sunny day in San Francisco, and never had the slightest difficulty seeing the screen. If its angled to the side,colors do appear distorted, so it doesn't really take my X41's spot next to my dual head PC very often, but that's a minor gripe.

I do need to do a color adjustment in windows - if I focus hard, it does feel a bit blue, but not enough to bug me.

I thought that I would be disappointed with the 1280x800 resolution, but I'm beginning to think that 1440x900 would be just a tad bit small on here. 1280x800 really plays well with this screen size. 1366x768 just robs me too much of vertical space - I hate to scroll more than I have to.

 

So finally got it last night. Definitely the right decision. It feels so much nicer than anything I've ever owned; the keyboard especially lived up to all the hype. The only negative thing I noticed was the contrast, the blacks aren't quite all the way there but a little adjustment fixed that. Since my screen resolution on my HP was 1280x800 it wasn't much a change anyways.

Glad I didn't wait for the x120e too, the x201 is much nicer. Thanks for all the suggestions. Pretty sure I'm going to end being addicted to Thinkpads now..

 

Would you care sharing what you did for that "little adjustment"?

 

@kaso

If you have the intel graphics card, right click on desktop, click on graphic properties.

In there go to color enhancement.

Currently I have it set at:

Brightness: -4 (changed from 0)
Contrast: 48 (changed from 50)
Gamma: 1.0
Hue: 0
Saturation: -2 (changed from -2)

That made it look a little better, although I'll probably keep tweaking it. Will post if I can figure out any better settings. Anyone have any better suggestions or anything?